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Can Australia Win the 2019 World Cup?

Australia found only the All Blacks too strong at
the 2015 Rugby World Cup, losing 34-17 to their bitter
rivals at Twickenham Stadium. In 2019, the Wallabies
have the opportunity to redeem that defeat and head
coach Michael Cheika will be quietly confident of
leading Australia to the latter stages of the competition
at the very least.

For now, the Aussies will have to be content with
knowing just two of their opponents in the group stages
in Japan. Australia will go up against Warren Gatland's
Wales and European minnows Georgia, as well as facing
one nation from Oceania and another from the Americas.
On paper, the
Wallabies should cruise to the top of Pool D,
although Wales will also fancy their chances of finishing
on top.

Pipping Wales to top spot in the group could turn
out to be very important, Eddie Jones' high-flying
England are likely to meet the runner-up in the quarter
final stages. Barring a major England collapse in
Pool C, the 2003 World Cup winners will go up against
either Wales or Australia in the first knockout round
- and both nations will want to avoid the current
Six Nations champions.

But Australia won't be scared. When it comes to the
southern hemisphere, Cheika's men are still the second
best team in the business and the Wallabies will be
full of confidence ahead of the trip to Japan. In
June, Australia will face Fiji, Scotland and Italy
- all three games will take place on home soil. Cheika
will expect his side to find their best form ahead
of the double header with New Zealand in the Rugby
Championship.

Australia
won this competition back in 2015 but the All Blacks
will take some beating this time around despite the
colossal distraction of a British and Irish Lions
tour earlier in the summer. Should Australia get the
better of New Zealand, South Africa and the improving
Argentina once again, the Wallabies will gain plenty
of confidence as preparations ahead of the Tokyo World
Cup start to ramp up.

At the time of writing, odds
on bet365 show that Australia are 11/2 to win
the World Cup and Cheika will already have one eye
on union's ultimate international competition. In
terms of young talent coming through the ranks, the
Wallabies aren't blessed with quality like New Zealand
or England but they do have a decent pool of starlets
and the Australia coach will do his best to offer
as much international experience as possible.

According to the official rugby world rankings, Australia
are the third best team on the planet - behind Jones'
side and the All Blacks. The next year is all about
building momentum ahead of what could be a memorable
tournament for Australian supporters. Victory in the
Rugby Championship would certainly go down well with
Wallabies fans but the ultimate prize is the World
Cup. New Zealand and England will take some beating
but topping Group D and earning a favourable knockout
tie with France/Argentina could be the key to winning
the Webb Ellis Cup.